Moonshiners, Beauty Queens and The Novel of the Century

In this episode, Mike takes us to the track meets, courtrooms, beauty pageants and music clubs of Northern Alabama. Episode 20 begins with the story of the band Alabama and their meteoric rise from their roots in Fort Payne to becoming the biggest band in country music history. Next you’ll hear the story of Jesse Owens and his amazing performance at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Then comes the story of Clyde May, a legendary Alabama moonshiner whose whiskey has been named the state’s official beverage. Next Mike will tell you about Harper Lee and the many challenges she faced in creating the incredible novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Finally comes the story of Deidre Downs, a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist turned Miss America turned MD. Music for this episode comes from Alabama legend Henry “Gip” Gipson who ran the last great Alabama juke joint for nearly 7 decades.

Apple Orchards, Protests and 10 Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Stadium

In this episode, Mike takes us into northern Ohio for another look at the history and culture of the Buckeye State. The episode begins with the 1970 shootings of 4 unarmed students at Kent State and how it shaped an era. From there we journey around the early Ohio frontier with John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. Baseball legend Cy Young is also from Ohio, and his story is next up in this episode. Next, you’ll hear the story of the early life of one of Ohio’s greatest authors: Toni Morrison. Finally, the story of the ill-fated “10 Cent Beer Night” held at Cleveland Stadium in 1974 will definitely put a smile on your face. Music from this episode comes from Canton’s own Hey Monea.